Collar stay and a method for its use

ABSTRACT

A collar stay capable of being retrofitted to any collared shirt in order to maintain a flat and wrinkle-free corner of the collar. The present collar stay can be comprised of rigid, planar material such as craft felt or plastic. This rigid, planar material can comprise an adhesive layer on one side, which can be used to connect the collar stay to the collar. The present collar stays are typically connected to the underside of the collar, however, in an alternative embodiment, the collar stays can have ornamentation printed on one side and can be worn on the upper side of the collar so as to better display the ornamentation.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit to provisional application No. 61/289,682, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to collar stays. Collar stays are devices, which are used to help a shirt look as it did when it was just purchased. More specifically, the present shirt collar stays can be used to hold the corners of the collars of polo shirts and other collared shirts flat.

BACKGROUND

When a collared shirt is new, the corners of the collar lay flat and have a crisp appearance. However, after the shirt has been worn, washed and dried one or more times, the corners of the collar tend to curl up or down and the shirt loses the appearance it had when it was first purchased.

Several solutions have been developed to solve this problem. Some shirts have button-down collars, which comprise buttons connected to the shirt beneath the collar and buttonholes located in the collar. When the buttons are connected to the buttonholes, the corner of the collar is securely connected to the shirt, thus preventing it from curling or otherwise becoming deformed. Although this solution helps the collar to remain neat and flat, the buttons are visible on the outside of the collar. Additional drawbacks of this solution include the fact that effort must be made to button the collar down, which may be difficult for some people to accomplish, and the possibility that the button will fall off of the shirt. Finding replacement buttons that match can be difficult, especially if the shirt comprises buttons, which are unusual in color or shape. Most importantly, the button-down collar system cannot be easily retrofitted to work with a collared shirt that was not originally manufactured to include it.

Some collared shirts comprise a slot or pocket on the underside of the collar corner into which a hard insert can be placed. The hard insert forces the collar to lay flat. These inserts can be damaged, broken or lost when the shirt is washed. Other solutions have been described for holding a shirt collar in place including external apparatuses. Many of these apparatuses are difficult or cumbersome to use and some are visible on the shirt. None of these solutions can easily be retrofitted onto any collared shirt.

What is needed is a shirt collar stay that is simple to use and can be used on any collared shirt, without significantly modifying the shirt. This collar stay can display a design or message on the outside of a collar, or be hidden beneath the collar flap. Whether used on the inside or outside of the collar, the stay must be capable of securely holding the collar in place to create a neat appearance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an aspect of the present device to provide a shirt collar stay that is simple to use and creates a neat appearance to a collared shirt by keeping the tip of the collar flat and wrinkle-free. Another aspect of the present device is that it can be displayed with a design or message on the outside of a collar, or hidden beneath the collar flap.

The above aspect can be obtained by a collar stay comprising: a piece of rigid, planar material having a first side and an opposite second side, the piece having at least one tapered or pointed end; and a planar adhesive layer attached to the first side of the collar stay, wherein the adhesive layer also comprises a first side attached to the piece and a second side; wherein both the first side and the second side of the adhesive layer are sticky.

The above aspect can also be obtained by a method for keeping a collar flat and wrinkle-free comprising: providing a collar stay, comprising: a piece of rigid, planar material having a first side and an opposite second side the piece having at least one tapered or pointed end; a planar adhesive layer attached to the first side of the collar stay, wherein the adhesive layer also comprises a first side attached to the piece and a second side; wherein both the first side and the second side of the adhesive layer are sticky; affixing the second side of the adhesive layer to an end of a collar on a shirt, wherein the tapered or pointed piece is placed within a pointed corner of the collar.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the present device, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the present device, will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a collar stay according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a collar stay shown with a protective cover being removed from an adhesive coating according to an embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of two alternative designs for collar stays according to an embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a die pattern for use in manufacturing several sports collar stays at one time according to an embodiment;

FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C are perspective views showing the application of a collar stay to a collar, according to an embodiment; and

FIG. 6 is a cross section of a collar stay with the adhesive and the protective cover, according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This description of the exemplary embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description, relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,”, “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivative thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. Terms concerning attachments, coupling and the like, such as “connected” and “interconnected,” refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.

Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a collar stay 10 according to an embodiment;

A collar stay 10 can preferably be made of a rigid material, such as a stiff craft felt or plastic. However, any other material that is sufficiently stiff so as to prevent a collar of a shirt from curling or wrinkling can also be used, such as metal, wood or ceramic. The preferable dimensions of the collar stay 10 can be similar in size to those of a typical guitar pick, which has a roughly triangular shape. The collar stay 10 can comprise a first end 12 b and a second end 42. The first end 12 b can comprise a pointed tip and the second end 42 can comprise a flat edge with rounded corners. The collar stay 10 can also comprise a first side 14 and a second side 12 opposite the first side. The first side 14 can be attached to an adhesive (not pictured). In a preferred embodiment, the adhesive can be a double-sided tape. The double-sided tape can be secured to the first side 14 of the collar stay 10. The second side 12 of the collar stay 10 typically does not comprise an adhesive or any other sticky substance.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a collar stay 10 shown with a protective cover 14 a being removed from an adhesive coating according to an embodiment.

The adhesive 44 that is located on the first side (opposite second side 12) of the collar stay can be covered with a protective cover 14 a when the collar stay 10 is not being used. Prior to application, the protective cover 14 a can be removed, exposing the adhesive 44. The removal of the protective cover 14 a can be accomplished by peeling it from one end of the collar stay 10 to the other. The protective cover 14 a can be kept for later use. In a preferred embodiment, this protective cover 14 a can be comprised of cellulose or some other suitable material for protecting an adhesive layer. After the collar stay has been worn, it can be removed from the article of clothing and the protective coating 14 a can be reapplied to the adhesive 44 on the first side of the collar stay to help maintain its adhesive properties for future uses.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of two alternative designs for a collar stay 10 according to an embodiment.

The collar stay can be many different shapes. Specifically, a triangular shape 45 can be used, where the corners of the second end 42 are not rounded, and a boomerang shape 46 can be used wherein the flat edges of the second end 49 are recessed towards the first end 12 b. Although only three shapes are specifically shown in the drawings submitted, any shape can be used that is capable of fitting under a collar and having sufficient surface area to connect to most of the underside of the collar thereby causing the collar to lay flat and unwrinkled.

Additionally, the collar stay can be used as a fashion accessory. For this use, a pattern 16, logos, trademarks, commercial messages or other insignias can be printed on the surface of the second side (the non-adhesive side) of the collar stay. The second side 12 can be the side opposite of the first side comprising the adhesive coating (not shown). A collar stay comprising such ornamentation can also be connected to the upper (visible) side of the collar rather than the underside in order to better display this ornamentation 16.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a die pattern 18 for use in manufacturing several sports collar stays 10 at one time according to an embodiment.

The collar stays 10 with a first end 12 b can be manufactured in a die punch process. A die 18 in the shape of a compact disk can be used for this purpose. A punch out of the desired shape of each collar stay 10 can be created with the use of a piece of rigid material The punched out collar stays 10 can be then coated with an adhesive (not shown), as well as a protective covering (not shown).

FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C are perspective views showing the application of a collar stay 10 to a collar 22, according to an embodiment.

After a collared shirt 20 is worn and washed, the collar 22 often does not lay flat. The tips of the collar 22 a tend to turn up and give the wearer a disheveled appearance. The collar stay 10 can be applied to either the upper side 22 c, or the underside 22 b of the collar 22 in order to make it lay flat and impart a neat appearance. The collar stay 10 can be applied by pealing the protective covering 14 a off of the first side 14 of the collar stay 10, exposing the adhesive coating (not shown). The collar stay 10 can then be place against the collar 22 with the first end 12 b pointing towards the tip of the collar 22 a. The adhesive coating can hold the collar stay in place on either side (22 b or 22 c) of the collar. If placed on the underside 22 b of the collar, the collar stay 10 should not be visible to a person looking at the wearer. After use and prior to washing the shirt, the collar stay 10 can be peeled from the collar and the protective covering 14 a can be place over the adhesive coating. The collar stay 10 can be used multiple times on different articles of clothing.

FIG. 5C shows that the weight of the attached collar stays 10 serves to weigh down the tips of the collar 22 a, thus providing the overall collar 22 a neater appearance than the disheveled look of the collar tips 22 a in FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6 is a cross section of a collar stay with the adhesive and the protective cover, according to an embodiment.

A collar stay 10 has a first side 14 and a second side 12. The first side 14 attaches to an adhesive (or adhesive layer) 44 that is adhesive on both sides (the side that abuts the first side 14 and the side that abuts the protective layer 14 a). The protective layer 14 a can easily peel off of the adhesive 44 thereby exposing the (top side of the) adhesive 44 so it can be affixed to a collar. The bottom side of the adhesive 44 would typically remain affixed to the collar stay 10, although when the adhesive 44 wears out (loses its adhesiveness) it can be peeled off and a brand new adhesive (not pictured) can be affixed to the first side 14 of the collar stay 10. The protective layer 14 a would typically come adhered to the adhesive 44 until it is peeled off by the user.

Although the invention has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Rather, the appended claims should be construed broadly, to include other variants and embodiments of the invention, which may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and range of equivalents of the invention. 

1. A collar stay comprising: a piece of rigid, planar material having a first side and an opposite second side, the piece having at least one tapered or pointed end; and a planar adhesive layer attached to the first side of the collar stay, wherein the adhesive layer also comprises a first side attached to the piece and a second side; wherein both the first side and the second side of the adhesive layer are sticky.
 2. A collar stay as described in claim 1 wherein the rigid, planar material is rigid craft felt.
 3. A collar stay as described in claim 1 wherein the rigid, planar material is comprised of plastic.
 4. A collar stay as described in claim 1 wherein the rigid, planar material is comprised of wood.
 5. A collar stay as described in claim 1 wherein the rigid, planar material is comprised of metal.
 6. A collar stay as described in claim 1 wherein the planar adhesive layer is double-stick tape.
 7. A collar stay as described in claim 1 further comprising a protective covering capable of covering the adhesive layer.
 8. A collar stay as described in claim 7 wherein the protective cover is comprised of cellulose.
 9. A collar stay as described in claim 1 wherein the planar adhesive layer is an adhesive applied directly onto one side of the rigid, planar material.
 10. A collar stay as described in claim 1 wherein ornamentation is printed on the second side of the rigid, planar material.
 11. A collar stay as described in claim 10 wherein the ornamentation comprises logos, trademarks or other commercial messages.
 12. A collar stay as described in claim 1, further comprising a shirt collar, wherein the second side of the adhesive layer is affixed to the shirt collar.
 13. A method for keeping a collar flat and wrinkle-free comprising: providing a collar stay, comprising: a piece of rigid, planar material having a first side and an opposite second side the piece having at least one tapered or pointed end; a planar adhesive layer attached to the first side of the collar stay, wherein the adhesive layer also comprises a first side attached to the piece and a second side; wherein both the first side and the second side of the adhesive layer are sticky; affixing the second side of the adhesive layer to an end of a collar on a shirt, wherein the tapered or pointed end of the piece is placed within a pointed corner of the collar. 